Schauber
Though they were the original residents of the Outer Plane, the small, cunning schaubers have since become second-class citizens to the voracious kargs. While most schaubers simply work for them, others are enslaved by them, and rebellion is common among their ranks. Though they far outnumber their oppressive neighbors, the kargs are exponentially more powerful, and easily able to keep them in check, even in large groups. However, the schaubers remain determined to free themselves from tyranny. While the Joining may have provided them with new allies in their fight for liberty, they will first have to overcome the stigma against their plane. Etymology and Other Names Schaubers are unusual in that they did not have a specific name for themselves until another race gave them one, as they used to be the sole denizens of the Outer Plane and simply referred to themselves as such. They were named by the kargs for their odd habit of stealing small objects from the Material Plane and wearing them as heads. Their name comes from the Knöch phrase, schadel dieb. Translated literally, it means 'skull thief'. Schaubers are also often referred to as objectheads by those looking to insult them, or simply those who do not know the given name of their race. Biology and Anatomy Schaubers are relatively plain anatomincally. They tend to be lean and lanky, with short-furred bodies and a long tail. Their hands and feet are clawed, and their fur tends to be dark in color, occasionally dotted with brighter markings. Most interestingly, they do not have heads. Because of their lack of heads, schaubers cannot see, hear, smell, or taste. Interestingly, however, they possess multiple other senses that help make up for their lack of traditional senses, all of them magical in nature. Every object has its own unique concentration of venelum contained in it, and schaubers are capable of sensing it. This is how they "see" the world, through the density of magic. Their "hearing" is incredibly similar. This is why schaubers steal objects to wear as heads. The objects (assuming they are inanimate) will not change in magical density unless tampered with, and because of this, it gives them a way to identify each other. Schauber language relies heavily on this magical sense as well. By manipulating the venelum around living creatures, they are able to elicit emotional responses. In this manner, they are able to communicate-- not through words, but the emotions tied to them. Sociology and Culture Though as a race they have existed far longer than the kargs, since the time that the bigger residents of the Outer Plane were sculpted, their way of life has changed drastically. Lucky schaubers are merely second-class citizens to the kargs, and while nearly all of them are oppressed in some way by their "superiors", the most unlucky of their kind are literal slaves to their hungry neighbors. Movements of rebellion, though common and often rife with subterfuge, are generally quickly found and violently squashed by the Wunsch. True schauber culture, though scattered and downtrod, yet remains. The most prominent, and yet most secretive, facet of their old traditions is the head-stealing ritual all schaubers perform. Using their innate magical abilities, each and every schauber sneaks into the Material Plane and steals a single object to use as their head. Many schaubers will naturally gravitate towards skulls when stealing their object. This ritual, along with the existence of the Material Plane, was kept hidden from the kargs for as long as the schaubers could manage. They hoped to use the knowledge against their foes somehow, or as a secret escape. Indeed, some schaubers never returned from stealing their heads, and while the kargen presumed them to be dead, the other schaubers knew that some had simply chosen not to come back at the risk of living amongst those who thought them to be demons. It was once believed that larger, heavier heads were more closely related to wickedness, and smaller, lighter ones to purity. This was due to the worship of Urtheil the Verdict. Due to her reverence falling nearly completely out of practice, this belief has since lessened significantly, to the point where it is considered to be merely superstition. Behavior Since they lack any traditional means of speaking or otherwise making noise from nothing, schaubers tend to be very quiet. Their silence carries over to their movements, and even a schauber who is moving very fast will make little to no noise. This is often stereotyped as schaubers being sly or sneaky, though in reality, they are simply very gentle in their movements. Schauber object heads are almost never perfectly still. They float above a schauber's neck, magically suspended in the air. Commonly, their floating heads will bob and roll in place, along with various other movements. A truly immobile schauber head is often a sign of illness. Naming Conventions Schauber names are different than those of all the other races in that their names are not consistent. Since shaubers do not communicate verbally, instead manipulating the venelum in the air to simulate language, their name changes depending on who "hears" it. Because of this, other races have taken to giving nicknames to schaubers based on the emotional connotation behind their name. For example, a schauber's name may sound like a memory of eating fresh raspberries to one person, but the same schauber's name may evoke a memory of reading a book while it rains outside to another. A nickname such as "Relax" might be given to them. Examples of schäuber nicknames: '''Peace, Happiness, Anger, Dread, Disgust Notable Schaubers *Rest *Safe *Rage Racial Traits (3.5e) Most schaubers are '''Medium, incurring no benefits or penalties for their size. However, a smaller than average schauber may instead be Small, incurring the benefits and penalties thereof. Because of their lack of heads, all schaubers instead rely on their Venelum Sense to perceive the world around them. This acts as a form of Blindsight with a range of 60ft. Due to this, schaubers are immune to Gaze attacks, and are able to ignore Invisibility and Concealment (even from magical Darkness). However, they cannot discern color or visual contrast, and are unable to read except for magical texts. Thanks to their Magical Intuition, all schaubers gain +2 to Knowledge: Venelum and Spellcraft. Due to being Silent Underfoot, schaubers do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity for their first square of movement past an enemy. This only works against a single enemy per turn. All schaubers have a certain Emotional Response tied to their identity. Though these can vary greatly, they all fall into certain categories. The three categories of Emotional Responses and their benefits are as follows: Positive: A Positive Emotional Response is one that is generally viewed as good, such as happiness, gratitude, or triumph. Once per day as a standard action, Positive schaubers may instill their allies with confidence and courage. Doing so grants all allies within 60ft a +2 morale bonus on ALL rolls made for 1/2 level rounds (minimum 1). Positive schaubers may choose either +2 dex OR +2 wis on top of their starting statistics. Negative: A Negative Emotional Response is one that is generally viewed as bad, such as sorrow, rage, or fear. Once per day as a standard action, Negative schaubers may instill their enemies with dread and unease. Doing so causes all enemies within 60ft to receive a -2 penalty to ALL rolls made for 1/2 level rounds (minimum 1). Negative schaubers may choose either +2 con OR +2 int on top of their starting statistics. Wildcard: A Wildcard Emotional Response is one that can be viewed as good or bad, depending on the situation and who feels it, such as surprise, cautiousness, and confusion. Once per day as a standard action, Wildcard schaubers may instill their allies and enemies with conviction and fear, respectively. Doing so grants all allies within 60ft a +1 morale bonus and all enemies within 60ft a -1 penalty to ALL rolls made for 1/2 level rounds (minimum 1). Wildcard schaubers may choose either +2 str OR +2 cha on top of their starting statistics. Category:Forigoan Races Category:Balance